AMES, Iowa (Interstat) — In a commanding display of both offensive firepower and defensive pressure, the Iowa State Cyclones overwhelmed the Valparaiso Beacons 97-50 in a non-conference women’s basketball game Wednesday night at a vibrant Hilton Coliseum.

A crowd of 8,954 watched as the Cyclones improved to a perfect 4-0 on the young season, while the Beacons remained winless, falling to 0-3.

The game was defined by Iowa State’s suffocating defense and remarkable efficiency in the paint. The Cyclones forced Valparaiso into 18 turnovers, converting those miscues into 19 points, while the Beacons managed just 2 points off six Iowa State turnovers. The disparity inside was even more stark, with Iowa State dominating paint scoring 62-14.

Iowa State’s offensive execution was a model of efficiency. The Cyclones scored 97 points on 78 possessions, an offensive rating of 124.5, and shot 53 percent from the field. Valparaiso, by contrast, struggled immensely, scoring 50 points on 79 possessions for an offensive rating of 63.2 and shooting just 29 percent.

The contest was competitive for only a brief moment. Valparaiso’s Milana Nenadic, who finished with a team-high 20 points and six rebounds, scored the game’s first basket and kept her team close early. The Beacons trailed just 16-10 after the first quarter.

Any hope of an upset was extinguished in a dominant second-quarter performance by the Cyclones. Iowa State outscored Valparaiso 27-12 in the period, breaking the game open with a relentless offensive attack and a defense that consistently generated stops and transition opportunities. By halftime, the Cyclones had built a 43-22 lead and never looked back.

Iowa State continued to pour it on after the break, scoring 24 points in the third quarter and a game-high 30 in the fourth to seal the lopsided victory.

The Cyclones were led by a phenomenal performance from center Audi Crooks of Algona, Iowa. The 6-foot-3 sophomore was nearly unstoppable, scoring a game-high 43 points on incredibly efficient shooting, adding seven rebounds and two assists in just 19 minutes of action.

She was complemented superbly by freshman Addy Brown from Derby, Kansas. The 6-foot-2 guard stuffed the stat sheet with 18 points, seven rebounds, four assists and a block in 28 minutes. The Cyclones’ offense also ran smoothly thanks to the playmaking of Jada Williams. The 5-foot-8 guard from Kansas City, Missouri, dished out 10 assists to go with 11 points and four rebounds.

For Valparaiso, Nenadic, a 6-foot-3 forward from Kitchener, Canada, was the lone consistent offensive threat. No other Beacon player scored more than six points. The team’s offensive struggles were compounded by a mere three assists on 18 made field goals.

Iowa State’s victory was its third by at least 27 points this season, following previous decisive wins over Sacred Heart, Southern, and Saint Thomas. Valparaiso, meanwhile, has now lost its first three games by an average of 38 points, having previously fallen to DePaul and Detroit by wide margins.

According to Interstat’s ELO system, Iowa State entered the game with a 99.60 percent probability to win, a forecast that proved accurate on the court.

The Cyclones will look to continue their strong start when they host Norfolk State on Sunday. Valparaiso will seek its first win of the season on the same day when it returns home to face Milwaukee.